


Born On The 4th of July

by My_Trex_has_fleas



Category: Poldark - All Media Types, Return to Treasure Island (TV 1996)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vietnam, Chu Lai Universe, M/M, delivering babies at 500 feet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-11
Updated: 2017-03-11
Packaged: 2018-10-02 22:02:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10228451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/My_Trex_has_fleas/pseuds/My_Trex_has_fleas
Summary: A prize for the Fiki Winter Fandom Raffle for ceallaig who asked for a Chu Lai side story. Hope you like it my dear XDRoss has an unusual MEDCAP. Jim is not amused.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ceallaig](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ceallaig/gifts).



> Ha, I have tried a new thing! Hover for translations.

July 4th.

Independence Day.

Ross stacked supplies on the shelves with Demelza, feeling completely overheated. It was just after nine and the sky was black. That didn’t stop the heat though, and the triage area was too hot to sit around in which was why he had volunteered to help her with the restocking of the triage supply room from the main storehouse at the back of the complex.

He was also musing about another 4th of July two years previously, when he’d sat at the table out in the garden of Nampara and watched as his family celebrated. They had been happy, all of them safe from being drafted and smug in their comfort and privilege.

All except him.

Ross had known then that he needed to do something. His drinking had been getting out of hand, his self-loathing so deeply entrenched that the very thought of Vietnam hadn’t meant possibly dying. It had meant escape and he’d announced that he was signing up to go into the army. True to form, his family hadn’t really heard him and carried on talking.

Verity, who he loved above all others in the Poldark clan, had been the only one to hear him and the pain in her eyes had made him reconsider for only the tiniest second. Then his father had turned and stared at him, Charles and Francis following suit. His arrogant declaration that no son of his was going into the army had made Ross’ resolve harden and the argument that followed had been the only one in his life that he’d never backed down from where his father was concerned.

‘Hey?’ Demelza was smiling at him. ‘Are you in there? You’re like a thousand miles away.’

‘Sorry.’ Ross took the dressings she was holding out to him and put them on the shelf. ‘Just thinking about stuff.’

‘What kind of stuff?’ Demelza asked. ‘Unless you don’t want to tell me.’

‘No.’ Ross shrugged. ‘I was just thinking about how I got here.’ He looked at her. ‘Today is kind of a big deal in my family.’

‘Yeah?’ Demelza took more dressings out the box. ‘Not mine. We never really celebrated it.’ She handed them over. ‘It’s why I always take this shift. More money and it’s usually very good for getting favours.’

‘That I agree with.’ Ross chuckled. He’d been happy to take the night shift. The whole camp was having various celebrations so it was a very unpopular shift and Anderson had been only too glad to give it to him. It did help that 51 had been assigned the night shift which was the whole reason that Ross wanted it off in the first place. He would get to have the whole next day with Jim and they were planning on going to sit on the beach and get some sun.

‘Sir?’ Ross turned at the sound of Reynold’s voice. ‘We got a call. Patrol’s at a village about thirty klicks out. They got a woman havin’ a baby.’

‘Oh?’ Ross looked at the GMO. ‘What’s wrong with her?’

‘They ain’t sure. None of ‘em can talk the lingo. But they think it can’t come out.’ Reynolds said. ’51 is headin’ out to get her.’

‘No, go back and tell them to come here first.’ Ross instructed. ‘If the baby is unable to present that could mean a whole lot of things and none of them are good.’ He started grabbing things off the shelves he would need. ‘I’m going out there with them. That could buy us necessary time.’

Reynolds nodded and ran off to go make the call. Demelza chuckled at him.

‘You’re completely transparent, you know.’ Her one eyebrow was arched in amusement. ‘Just so you can spend some time with him.’

‘Only you and I know that.’ Ross countered. He left the store room and went into triage to grab a bag to put the supplies in and then ran hell for leather back to his hooch to grab his sidearm, vest and helmet.

By the time he got back and out to the landing pad, 51 was coming in over the bluff. He ran forward, head down and one hand clamped to his helmet to where Jim had his window down as he waited to talk to him.

‘Hi.’ He stuck his head in Jim’s window and smiled at him. ‘Happy Independence Day.’

‘Fuck that shit.’ Jim snorted. ‘Dumb ass holiday.’ He looked very grumpy and Ross chuckled.

‘You having a bad day, Hawk?’ He watched as Jim narrowed his eyes at him and then jerked his thumb at the door.

‘Get in.’ he ordered. Ross looked past him to LJ and got a broad smile and decided that he would definitely need a run-down of what was happening after they got back.

Flint had the side door open for him to climb in. He got inside and took his seat in the jump seat at the side and Jim took Susie up into the air. The bird was in darkness, the only lights coming for the instrument panel and Ross looked out into the night with a stupid smile on his face at his first night flight.

‘Evenin’ Doc.’ Flint sounded cheerful. ‘Nice night for flyin’, huh?’

‘Guess so.’ He grinned in reply. ‘You boys been having fun?’

‘Benny’s about to pitch a fit.’ Flint laughed. ‘He ain’t never seen a baby bein’ born.’

‘Yeah.’ Benny’s dark eyes were lit up with excitement. ‘This is gonna be cool.’

‘Yeah.’ Flint’s smile was wicked. ‘Too bad our pilot don’t think so.’

‘I hate goddamn baby call-outs.’ Jim snorted. ‘And she ain’t doin’ it in here.’

LJ and the others laughed and Ross gave Flint a quizzical look.

‘We had a baby call out about a year ago.’ Flint explained. ‘Jim had to puke out the side window.’

‘It’s disgusting.’ Jim muttered. ‘Jesus fuck.’

‘Man, it’s a good thing you ain’t gonna have any.’ LJ laughed. ‘And it’s a beautiful thing, James.’

That made Ross look at the AC.

‘You were in the delivery room?’ He was impressed. ‘Not a lot of men are willing to do that.’

‘I wanted to be there for Angie and our boys.’ LJ replied. ‘And I’m glad I was. It was the most incredible experience of my life.’

‘Christ.’ Jim grumbled. ‘Just make sure she’s either done it before or she’s gonna hold it till we get back.’

‘You know babies don’t work like that, right?’ Ross was now very amused. ‘If they want out, they are coming out regardless of anyone’s personal views.’

‘ETA’s about twenty minutes.’ LJ was checking his chart, his voice muffled by the flashlight in his teeth. ‘Should be an easy in and out.’

‘Roger that.’ Jim still sounded stroppy, but now it was tempered as he focused. Flint caught Ross staring at him and grinned.

‘Here, Doc.’ He undid his harness. ‘Switch seats.’

Ross grinned and moved to trade seats with him. In Flint’s position he could swing sideways and watch Jim flying through the gap between the seats. Jim threw him a quick look over his shoulder and Ross caught a glimpse of a dimple.

‘Hey back there.’ Jim’s voice was soft and Ross felt like the only thing in the world that he wanted right then was to reach through and take Jim’s hand. He couldn’t of course, the instrument panel was in the way and of course Jim had far better things to do like actually keep them in the air. Still it was enough to just sit and watch him work, his focus and control making Ross’ heart pick up just a little.

Through the greenhouse, there was nothing but a sea of black beneath them, the forest below punctuated every now and then by open fields. Susie was flying at about 500 feet, and the night was quiet. This side of the trail the villages were largely friendly and there was little in the way of threat towards them.

‘The hamlet we’re were headed for is down in a dip on a 347 degree heading.’ LJ remarked to Jim. ‘There should be two peaks just up ahead so look sharp.’

‘Got it.’ Jim banked Susie to the left and when Ross looked through the plexiglass he could just see the peaks up ahead. He watched as they drew closer, the darker outlines showing the sides of the mountains, Jim dropped altitude and brought them in just above the ridge between them.

They came over the crest and Ross moved to the window at the side and looked out. He could see a tiny collection of lights below and Jim brought them lower and lower until they could just make out four bright pink lights from flares that were being held aloft.

Ross felt the bird descend, Jim keeping her steady as she came around in a circle and then touched down in the field they were landing in.

‘You’re good to go, Doc.’ he said and Flint pulled the door open. Ross got out, Benny just behind him and they ran across to one of the soldiers. He was a corporal and he automatically straightened up when he saw Ross.

‘Not now.’ Ross stopped him. ‘Where is she?’

‘This way, Doc.’ The corporal handed off his flare to one of the others and beckoned to Ross and Benny, who was carrying the litter.

They followed him along a well-trodden dirt path past a few other soldiers who obviously all belonged to his patrol. The path led into the trees and to a group of the traditional wooden buildings. That was when Ross heard the screaming and the pain in it made him break into a jog.

He followed the woman’s voice and got to a building with the door open. Inside he found the expectant mother on a pallet on the ground. She was in severe pain, her face crumpled up, and her black hair was stuck to her face. She was dressed in a thin cotton dress which was hiked up around her hips and her feet were flat to the pallet. What Ross saw between them was not good.

‘Shit.’ He pulled off the bag he was carrying and moved to have a better look. The patrol’s medic was kneeling between the woman’s legs and a Vietnamese man was at her side, holding her hand. An older woman was on her other side, muttering vociferously at the medic. Ross noted his name was Briggs.

‘Report.’ he instructed as he moved in and medic fell back.

‘I don’t know, sir.’ His face was pale even in the dim light of the building. ‘It’s been about seven hours and they said that nothing was happening and then that happened.’

Ross moved into position, taking a pair of gloves from his pocket and snapping them on. He gave the woman a reassuring smile and then turned his attention to her baby. As he’d guessed, this birth was not normal and he frowned as he looked at the little foot that was the only sign of the baby that was trying to come out.

‘It’s breech.’ he said this to Benny, who had come to stand behind his shoulder. ‘That means the baby is facing the wrong way.

‘Damn.’ Benny was riveted. ‘How do we fix it?’

‘We have to try and turn it.’ Ross looked at the woman’s husband whose face was creased in worry. ‘ _Tu parle Français?'_

‘ _Un peu._.’ The man’s accent was thick.

‘Shit.’ Ross blew out the air he was holding in. ‘ _Dit-elle que je doit tournez l’enfant. Il est en face_.’

‘ _C’est dangereux_?’ The man looked stricken.

‘ _Possiblement_.’ Ross started to examine the area around the baby’s foot, one hand on the woman’s abdomen. ‘ _Comment s’appelle_?’

‘Ai Lan.’ the man replied.

‘ _Et toi_?’ Ross noted that the older woman was moving out the way. He needed Benny to assist and he’d have to get in close.

‘Xuan.’ The man was looking back at his wife, stroking her hand.

‘ _Bon. Alors Xuan, dit Ai Lan que nous devons voyager à l’hôpital_.’ Ross did not like what he was feeling. The baby was lying in a very difficult position from what he could feel, most likely with its legs lying along its body.

‘Come here.’ He beckoned to Benny. ‘Put your hand here.’

Benny did after putting on his own gloves. He frowned as he felt where Ross directed him to.

‘What are we goin' to do?’ he asked.

‘We’re going to try to turn the baby around.’ Ross looked up to see that the medic had moved to observe what they were doing, interest on his face.

‘They don’t teach us this in field school.’ he remarked and Ross grinned. He’d delivered more than his share of babies, but only a few breeches and this one seemed trickier than most. He was pleased to see there appeared to be no bleeding but the baby needed to come out. Breech births were particularly susceptible to being deprived of oxygen as the umbilical cord was compressed in the unnatural position.

‘Benny, I want you to keep your hand there.’ He took hold of the tiny foot and moved his other hand to the other side of Ai Lan’s abdomen. ‘I’m going to push and I want you to just guide along, don’t do anything else.’

Benny nodded and moved a little closer, his giant hands resting gently on Ai Lan’s stomach. Ross pushed against the baby and felt resistance. He pushed a little harder and was pleased to see that the little foot was starting to retract until it finally disappeared back inside her body. He looked at the woman’s husband.

‘ _Xuan, j’ai besoin du quelque chose pour m’aider tourner l’anfant. Est-ce que tu as l’huile_?’ he asked and Xuan nodded and rattled off something to the old woman. She rushed off out the room and Benny looked at him.

‘What did you ask?’ He was watching Ross closely.

‘We need something to make this easier.’ Ross said. ‘I can turn the baby around, but it helps if you have some sort of lubricant. Oil is fine for this.’ He looked up as the old woman came back in with a bottle of the ubiquitous coconut oil in her hands. She gave it to him and Ross uncapped it and spilled it over Ai Lan’s belly. He put the bottle down and then got up and came to Ai Lan’s side. Benny moved over and peered over his shoulder as Ross used both hands to feel over Ai Lan’s belly and then started to push the baby. He was firm but not rough and was gratified to feel the baby start to turn. Ai Lan’s face was a picture and she was saying something in Vietnamese that made Xuan smile through his worry.

‘ _Elle dit que ce sens bizarre_.’ He gave Ross a half smile.

‘I can imagine.’ He pushed several times and Ai Lan’s abdomen stretched and distended as the baby finally moved.

‘Damn.’ Briggs said and whistled. ‘That’s a fancy move right there.’ He sounded like he was straight out of Georgia.

‘The trick is to go slow, but also make sure you’re being firm enough to actually turn the baby around.’ Ross pointed out. ‘I got taught this by a midwife at Mass Gen who’d delivered more babies than all of us have had hot dinners put together.’ He smiled reassuringly at Ai Lan. ‘ _Dit elle que l’enfant à tourné_.’

Xuan repeated the news and Ai Lan smiled. She replied and Xuan translated.

‘ _Elle dit qu’elle sens plus meilleux_.’ He looked noticeably relieved.

‘Good.’ Ross rocked back on his heels. ‘I think we still need to get her back. I would be happier if we have to intervene surgically to have her in a place that’s equipped.’

‘No problem, Doc.’ Benny got up. He went to retrieve the litter and he and Briggs unrolled it and together they got Ai Lan on while Ross told Xuan what they were doing. Xuan conferred with Ai Lan and asked if he could come along and Ross agreed immediately. One more on the bird wouldn’t be a problem.

They took Ai Lan out to the bird, Benny and Briggs doing the carrying while Xuan peppered Ross with questions and he did his best to assure him that she would be fine. The bird was still going when they got there, as per procedure. Flint was standing at the door and he helped Benny load Ai Lan on while Ross gave Xuan a hand up and then climbed in behind him, moving to lean between the pilots’ seats.

‘Please tell me that it’s not out yet.’ Jim looked up at him and Ross laughed.

‘No, but she is imminent.’ He grinned and gave Jim a thump on the helmet. ‘So you better fly your ass off if you want to make it back before then.’

‘Oh fuck you, Ross.’ Jim muttered. He engaged the engines and Ross moved back into the bird to go and kneel down by Ai Lan to keep an eye on her. Benny was helping Xuan into the harness for the jump seat while Flint slammed the door shut as Susie lifted off the ground and started the return trip to the R & E.

Ai Lan looked at Ross as he went to check on her. Benny had draped a blanket over her to preserve some sense of modesty as they had carried her to the bird, but he moved it out the way and then noted that she was now fully dilated. Then she gasped in pain and he realised that with the baby now turned, his little threat seemed to be on it's way to becoming a reality.

‘Oh boy.’ Benny was next to him. ‘That ain’t good.’

‘What?’ Jim sounded alarmed. Next to him, LJ was now chuckling. ‘Goddammit Ross!’

‘I told you they come when they come.’ Ross was back in his bag, digging out a fresh pair of gloves. He sanitised his hands and then put them on. ‘And I think this one is on its way.’ He took out some cloths and the bottle of distilled water and handed them to Benny. ‘You cool to help?’

‘I’m cool.’ Benny accepted the items and another pair of gloves as well. He repeated the process and moved in closer.

‘Flint, I need you to time the contractions.’ Ross instructed. He looked at Ai Lan and mimed for her to push. She nodded and started breathing slow and evenly as the worst of the contraction hit. Xuan looked alarmed and immediately undid his harness and dropped to his knees next to her. Ross instructed him to tell Ai Lan to push on the next contraction if she felt like she needed to and he relayed the message.

‘What now?’ Benny asked.

‘I need Xuan to get behind her and hold her up a little.’ Ross replied and then directed Xuan into position. There was a moment of scrambling around and he moved to squat behind Ai Lan and helped her to sit up and get into a similar position.

‘Why did you do that?’ Flint asked, now clearly fascinated by what was going on.

‘Lying on her back isn’t good.’ Ross looked around. ‘It puts pressure on her back which can cause complications. You guys got another blanket around here?’

‘Sure.’ Flint got up and moved to the back of the bird and came back with one of the thin blankets they used when a casualty was going into shock. He handed it to Ross.

The contraction passed and Ross gestured to Benny for one of the cloths. He could see the baby’s head starting to crown and cleaned around the area gently.

‘ _Elle est prete_.’ He looked at Ai Lan and she met his eyes. ‘ _C’est temps_.’

‘ _Oui_.’ Xuan shifted and took both of Ai Lan’s hands. She was wincing as the next contraction came on and he got ready.

********

In the front of the bird, Jim was feeling several things. He was horribly impressed by what was going on behind him. He’d never seen Ross work but he was listening intently to how he was talking to the couple in the back and to Benny, his voice calm and authoritative. He was also feeling completely freaked out at the fact that this was happening in the back of his bird.

Next to him, LJ was craned around to watch. Flint had the lights on in the back so he could see clearly what was going on and Jim wished he could turn around as well.

‘He’s good.’ LJ sounded impressed. ‘A real pro.’ He looked back at Jim. ‘And you just keep it together. You look like you want to bail out the goddamn door.’

That made Jim smile and feel ridiculously proud on behalf of Ross. He listened to him give some instructions in French and focused on keeping Susie flying level and as smoothly as possible.

*********

‘It’s down to two minutes. Doc.’ Flint was looking at his watch.

Ross looked at Ai Lan and nodded. She took a deep breath as the next contraction started in earnest and then began to push. It was clearly difficult and Ross felt a rush of sympathy. This was more than likely not the way she would have wanted to have her baby, but he was determined to make sure he did his best to give them both the best chances of survival.

The contraction peaked and the baby’s head was now on its way out. Ai Lan was screaming as she pushed and the look on Xuan’s face told Ross that the words were probably not very complimentary, something he was very well acquainted with. He hid his smile and watched as the baby’s face emerged, head up he was very pleased to note, supporting it with his hand.

‘ _C’est bon_.’ He gave Ai Lan an encouraging smile. ‘ _Encore_.’

By the time the contraction stopped, Ai Lan was panting with exertion and the baby’s head was out. Ross knew that on the next contraction they would need to get the body out and then they were free and clear. He was delighted to see that the umbilical cord was not wrapped around the baby’s neck and concentrated on making sure nothing else would go wrong.

Ai Land started panting again as the next contraction came on and bore down hard. Ross was impressed by how stoic she was being, especially at this junction. There was some tearing and he kept an eye on the bleeding, knowing how quickly things could get out of control.

The baby’s head turned to the left and he knew the next push would deliver the shoulders. Ai Lan gritted her teeth and whined as she bore down but it worked and one shoulder and then the other on the next push emerged. Ross kept his hand underneath the baby’s neck, supporting the tiny head. He got his other one underneath the little body and there was a rush of fluid as the rest of it came out, revealing that it was a girl. He tilted her back at a slight angle and the fluids drained from her mouth and nose and she started to make the typical mewling cry of all newborns. Xuan started babbling in Vietnamese as he saw Ross lift the baby.

Ross got up on his knees so he could hand the baby into Ai Lan’s waiting arms and guided her to her mother’s chest. Ai Lan was crying. She looked back at Xuan, who was doing the same, and they both laughed through their tears.

Ross watched as Ai Lan pulled her dress open so the baby was against her bare skin and moved it into position to feed. She latched on and Ross was very pleased to see that she seemed strong and healthy. He waited and the next contraction delivered the placenta into the cloth he’d taken from Benny then massaged Ai Lan’s lower stomach until he could feel the uterus contract and the bleeding stopped. Ai Lan was now looking exhausted but happy.

Ross wrapped the placenta up and put it to one side. He looked towards the front of the bird.

‘How long have we got?’ he called.

‘ETA’s five minutes.’ Jim called back. ‘You couldn’t have done this there?’

Ross laughed and busied himself with cleaning things up a little. He waited until he couldn’t feel a pulse in the umbilical cord and then took out a pair of clamps, putting them two inches apart and with the first one three inches from the baby’s navel. Xuan watched over Ai Lan’s shoulder, but the happy mother only had eyes for her little girl.

Ross tightened the clamps and took out the scissors, rubbing alcohol and another cloth from the bag and sterilised the blades before he cut the cord and removed it to place it with the rest of the placenta. He took the blanket that Flint had given him and draped it over Ai Lan and the baby, watching as Xuan adjusted it around them, all protectiveness now. He looked up at Ross.

‘ _Elle est fatigue_.’ he remarked and Ross nodded.

‘ _Elle peut dormer quand nous arrivons_.’ He sat back on his heels. ‘Damn, that was a first.’

‘I’ll say.’ Benny was grinning. ‘Wow. That was amazing.’

‘It was.’ Flint had a funny look on his face and Ross would have bet his next pay that the subject of babies was probably going to come up in his next conversation with Demelza. He looked towards the front and then managed to get up and move to hang between the seats. LJ was busy calling them in and he took the opportunity for a little bit of teasing.

‘You hanging in there?’ he asked Jim and got another half turned dimple.

‘I’ll live.’ He pointed in front of them. ‘Not too long now.’

They came in over Chu Lai and the 91st. This time Jim didn’t take his normal route, but came straight in over the landing pad to touch down.

Demelza and a couple of GMOs were waiting and she watched as they unloaded Ai Lan and Xuan and took them inside. Ross gathered his things and got out the bird after saying goodbye to Flint. He hung a the door for a moment.

‘Good work back there.’ he said to Benny and saw the pride on the young medic’s face.

Jim lowered his window when he came around to him and now Ross could see the smile properly.

‘You’re real good at that.’ There was admiration in his voice. His eyes were thoughtful and Ross tilted his head and gave him a look.

‘Thank you.’ He was completely blown away as he realised that Jim was being serious.

‘You are.’ Jim gave him a considering look. ‘LJ’s right.’

‘I am?’ LJ grinned. ‘That’s probably the first time you’ve uttered those words.’ He looked past Jim to Ross. ‘He’s right, Doc. I would be more than happy to have you deliver my third.’

‘I would be delighted.’ Ross smiled back and then snuck another look at Jim. ‘So I’ll see you tomorrow?’

‘I think you’ll find it’s already tomorrow, Doc.’ Jim smiled. ‘And yeah, you will.’

Ross tapped the frame and stepped back as Benny came jogging out and across the pad. He watched him get in and then Jim took Susie back up. Ross held up a hand and got one in reply before the bird banked and took off back down towards the bluff.

He took a deep breath and walked back under the eaves, taking his cigarettes out and shaking one from the packet before lighting it and taking a deep drag. Demelza found him like that when she came out a few moments later, smoking and looking up at the stars.

‘Mom and baby doing just fine.’ she told him. ‘I swear you have the weirdest call outs.’

‘No shit.’ Ross grinned around his cigarette. He sighed and killed the butt and then followed her back inside.


End file.
